The End of Politics

November 5, 2016Fort Worth, Texas

America appears more divided than any time since the Vietnam War, by race, class, faith, sex, sexuality, education, political party, and zip code. And thanks to social media, we are utterly aware of those divisions. No matter who wins the nasty contest between Clinton and Trump, millions of Americans—perhaps 100 million or more—will consider themselves disenfranchised and unrepresented in Washington.

Government and politicians won't go away anytime soon, to be sure. But are we approaching the limits of what can be done politically in America? The federal government faces serious structural problems involving debt, spending, entitlements, regulations, taxes, civil liberties, and foreign policy. Congress can't even pass a budget, much less decide the great issues of the day. Gridlock — a positive development for libertarians — is now an entrenched feature of the political landscape in DC.

As politics breaks down, will the myth of democratic consensus be exposed? Will the great social, economic, and cultural matters of our time increasingly not be decided by politicians? And will America turn to markets and civil society for answers to the seemingly intractable problems government can't solve? Is the future necessarily more authoritarian and statist, or does the breakdown of politics provide an opportunity for us to make the case for pragmatic, non-political solutions to social and economic problems?

Our speakers will discuss these questions, and more. Don't miss Lew Rockwell, Professor Robert Murphy, Ryan McMaken, Jeff Deist, and a special guest appearance by Roger Stone, at the Mises Circle in Dallas-Fort Worth, Saturday November 5, 2016, Hurst Conference Center. Registration includes brunch, sessions, and breaks. The Mises Bookstore will be on-site and speakers are happy to autograph books. Present your Mises Membership card to the cashier for a 10% discount. Brunch with cash bar begins at 9:30 a.m., sessions at 11:00 a.m., ending at 2:00 p.m.

For accommodations at the Hyatt Place, within walking distance of the Hurst Conference Center, please call the Hyatt at 1-800-833-1516 before noon October 11 and mention the Mises Institute for a special rate of $109 per night, plus tax. Or reserve a room online here.

Special thanks to Klaas and Anastasia Talsma for making this event possible.

Publicity Waiver: Registering for this event gives the Mises Institute permission to take photos of attendees and use the photos for fundraising purposes. By this authorization, attendees understand and agree that no participant shall receive remuneration and that all rights, title and interest to the photos and use of them belongs to the Mises Institute.